Glide sock and method of making a glide sock

ABSTRACT

A chair including a plurality of legs having glides attached to the legs is provided with glide socks that are assembled over each of the glides. The glide socks each have a fabric body that envelops a floor facing surface of the glide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide. The glide socks each include a band of elastic material sewn to an inner edge of the fabric body that is retained in the recess by the band of elastic material. A method of making a glide sock includes the step of providing a blank of a fabric having a perimeter and sewing a band of elastic to the perimeter of the blank. The band of elastic material is stretched as it is sewn to the perimeter of the blank.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to removable covers for chair glides.

BACKGROUND

Glide socks are assembled over chair glides to facilitate moving chairsand avoid damaging floor surfaces. Floor surfaces maybe smooth, e.g.wood, linoleum, smooth ceramic tile, and the like, or may be rough, e.g.carpet, concrete, and the like.

Different types of chair glides are available including ones that areflush with the chair leg, ball-shaped glides attached to the leg, andpivotable or fixed glides that have a wider bottom surface and a taperedtop surface sloping inwardly to a narrow neck.

One problem with existing glide socks is that they are difficult toassemble to chair glides that have a tapered top surface slopinginwardly to a narrow neck. Existing glide socks may tend to be easilystriped from the chair glide when moved across a floor.

Another problem is that in some locations the same chairs are used onsmooth surfaces or on rough surfaces for different event set-ups. Asingle type of glide sock is not appropriate for both types of surfaces.

This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and otherproblems as summarized below.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of this disclosure, a glide sock is disclosedthat includes a fabric body and a band of elastic material. The fabricbody has a floor engaging surface and inwardly extending top surfacethat extends from an outer diameter of the floor engaging surface to aninner edge. The band of elastic material is attached to the inner edgethat draws the inner edge inwardly to a circular shape having an innerdiameter that is less than the outer diameter of the floor engagingsurface.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, the band of elasticmaterial may have an inner portion and an outer portion that are foldedtogether along the length of the band, wherein the inner portion may besewn to an inner surface of the perimeter edge, and the outer portionmay be sewn to an outer surface of the perimeter edge.

The fabric body may have an inner layer that may be attached to an outerlayer that has a durable and smooth outer surface. Alternatively, thefabric body may have an inner layer that is attached to an outer layerhas an outer surface covered with pile.

According to another aspect of this disclosure a combination of a glidesock and a chair is disclosed that includes a plurality of legssupporting a chair, glides attached to the legs, and glide socksassembled over each of the glides. The glides include a floor facingsurface and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide that extendsfrom an outer diameter of the glide toward a leg receptacle provided atthe bottom of the leg. The leg receptacle of each of the glides isattached to the bottom of each of the legs. The glides and the legsdefine a circular recess adjacent the bottom of each leg. The glidesocks each have a fabric body that envelops the floor facing surface ofthe glide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide. The glidesocks each include a band of elastic material sewn to an inner edge ofthe fabric body, wherein the inner edge of the fabric body is retainedin the recess by the band of elastic material.

According to a further aspect of this disclosure, a method of making aglide sock is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing ablank of a fabric having a generally circular perimeter and providing aband of elastic material that in a normal, unstretched condition has alength less than one-half the perimeter of the blank. A band of elasticmaterial is sewn to the perimeter of the blank, and the band of elasticmaterial is stretched as it is sewn to the perimeter of the blank. Afirst end of the band of elastic material is sewn to a second end of theband of elastic material with the first end overlapping the second end.

According to other aspects of the method, the fabric may be cut to formthe blank and the elastic material may be cut to form the band to adesired length. The method may also include the steps of folding theband of elastic material to form an inner portion and an outer portiontogether along the length of the band and sewing the inner portion to aninner surface of the perimeter edge and the outer portion to an outersurface of the perimeter edge.

The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects will be describedbelow with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a lower end of a chair leg, a glideassembled to the chair leg, and a glide sock assembled to the glide.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the lower end of the chair leg, theglide assembled to the chair leg, and the glide sock assembled to theglide shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a cross-section view taken along the line 3A-3A in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3B is a cross-section view like FIG. 3A showing a glide sock havingtwo layers including an inner later and a smooth outer layer.

FIG. 3C is a cross-section view like FIG. 3A showing a glide sock havingtwo layers including an inner later and a pile outer layer.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of a blank and a band ofelastic material initially being sewn together to form the glide sock.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of the blank and the band ofelastic material being sewn together with the band of elastic beingstretched as it is sewn to the blank as the blank is rotated to form theglide sock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to thedrawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various andalternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and somefeatures may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particularcomponents. The specific structural and functional details disclosed arenot to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis forteaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.

Referring to FIG. 1, a chair leg 10 is illustrated that is provided witha glide sock 12 made according to one example of this disclosure. Theglide sock 12 is assembled to a glide 14 that is, in turn, assembled tothe bottom, or distal, end 16 of the chair leg 10. The glide sock 12includes a body 18 of fabric and has a floor engaging portion 20 and atop portion 22 that together define an outer diameter 24 of the body 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, the chair leg 10, glide 14 and glide sock 12, areillustrated in a partial exploded perspective view. A band 26 is sewn tothe inner diameter 28 of the body 18. The inner edge 28 that is formedwhen the band 26 is sewn to glide sock 12, as will be described ingreater detail with reference to FIGS. 4-6 below.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the glide sock 12 is shown in isolation in across-section view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2. The glide sock 12includes the body 18 that has a floor engaging surface 20 and a topsurface 22. The widest part of the body 18 forms the outer diameter 24.The band 26 is sewn to the inner diameter 28 of the body 18. The body 18is drawn by the band 26 into the inner edge 28 that is less thanone-half the diameter of the outer diameter 24 of the body 18. The band26 is folded over to form an inner portion 30 and an outer portion 32that are sewn with stitches 33 to an inner surface 34 and an outersurface 36 of the body 18 at the inner edge 28.

Referring to FIG. 3B, one embodiment of the glide sock 12 is shown thatincludes a body 18 that is formed with two layers including an innerlayer 38 formed of a durable elastic material and an outer layer 40formed of a durable smooth, or low friction, material to facilitatemoving the chair over a floor surface that is relatively rough such as acarpeted floor.

Referring to FIG. 3C, one embodiment of the glide sock 12 is shown thatincludes a body 18 that is formed with two layers including an innerlayer 38 formed of a durable elastic material and an outer layer 40formed of a durable pile-covered, or soft material, to facilitate movingthe chair over a floor surface that is relatively smooth such as afinished wood floor or a tile floor.

Referring to FIG. 2, the outer diameter 42 of the glide 14 is visiblewhen the glide sock 12 is removed. The glide 14 has a leg receptacle 44that defines an opening for receiving the distal end 16 of the chair leg10. The glide 14 defines a recess 48 adjacent the bottom end 16 of thechair leg 10 that is adapted to receive the band 26 that pulls the body18 into the recess 48. The glide 14 has a floor facing surface 50 thatis adapted to slide on a floor surface.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, fragmentary schematic views are provided toillustrate the method of making the glide sock 12. The blank 52 that isused to form the body 18 is initially a generally circular blank that isdrawn to the shape shown in FIG. 2. A first end 54 of the band 26 istacked to the blank 52 with a stitch 33. The band 26 has an initiallength D₁ before the first stitch 33 is made through the inner portionof the band 26 the blank and outer portion 32 of the band 26, as bestseen in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 6 the sewing step is illustrated after the firsttacking stitch 33 is made at the first end 54 of the band 26. The blank52 is rotated as indicated by the circle of arrows and the dashed linein FIG. 6 and a force is applied to the second end of the band 26 asindicated by the larger arrow pointing toward the top of the pagethereby stretching the band to an increased length D₂. As the sewingcontinues the edge of the blank 52 is drawn inwardly to form the bandinto the ring shown in FIG. 2. The first end 54 of the band 26 isoverlapped over the second end 56 of the band 26 to providehoop-strength that provides a strong retentive force that keeps theglide sock 12 on the glide 14 with the band 26 being retained in therecess 48 of the glide 14.

The embodiments described above are specific examples that do notdescribe all possible forms of the disclosure. The features of theillustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments ofthe disclosed concepts. The words used in the specification are words ofdescription rather than limitation. The scope of the following claims isbroader than the specifically disclosed embodiments and includesmodifications of the illustrated embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glide sock comprising: a fabric body having afloor engaging surface and inwardly extending top surface that extendsfrom an outer diameter of the floor engaging surface to an inner edge;and a band of elastic material attached to the inner edge that draws theinner edge inwardly to a circular shape having an inner diameter that isless than the outer diameter of the floor engaging surface.
 2. The glidesock of claim 1 wherein the band of elastic material has an innerportion and an outer portion that are folded together along a length ofthe band, wherein the inner portion is sewn to an inner surface of theinner edge, and the outer portion is sewn to an outer surface of theinner edge.
 3. The glide sock of claim 1 wherein the fabric body has aninner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has a durable andsmooth outer surface.
 4. The glide sock of claim 1 wherein the fabricbody has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer having anouter surface covered with pile.
 5. A combination of a glide sock and achair, the combination comprising: a plurality of legs supporting thechair; a plurality of glides including a floor facing surface of theglide and an inwardly extending top surface of the glide that extendsfrom an outer diameter of the glide toward a leg receptacle attached toa bottom end of the leg, wherein the leg receptacle of one of the glidesis attached to the bottom end of each of the legs, the leg receptacleseach define a circular recess adjacent the bottom of each leg; and aplurality of glide socks each having a fabric body that envelops thefloor facing surface of the glide and an inwardly extending top surfaceof the glide, the glide sock including a band of elastic material sewnto an inner edge of the fabric body, wherein the inner edge of thefabric body is retained in the recess by the band of elastic material.6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the band of elastic material hasan inner portion and an outer portion that are folded together along alength of the band, wherein the inner portion is sewn to an innersurface of the inner edge, and the outer portion is sewn to an outersurface of the inner edge.
 7. The combination of claim 5 wherein thefabric body has an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer thathas a durable and smooth outer surface.
 8. The combination of claim 5wherein the fabric body has an inner layer that is attached to an outerlayer that has an outer surface covered with pile.
 9. A method of makinga glide sock comprising: providing a blank of a fabric having aperimeter; providing a band of elastic material that in a normal,unstretched condition has a length of less than one-half the perimeterof the blank; and sewing a band of elastic material to the perimeter ofthe blank, wherein the band of elastic material is stretched as the bandof elastic material is sewn to the perimeter of the blank.
 10. Themethod of claim 9 further comprising: cutting the fabric to form theblank; and cutting the elastic material to form the band to a desiredlength.
 11. The method of claim 9 further comprising: folding the bandof elastic material to form an inner portion and an outer portion thatare folded together along the length of the band; and sewing the innerportion to an inner surface of an inner edge and the outer portion to anouter surface of the inner edge.
 12. The method of claim 9 furthercomprising: sewing a first end of the band of elastic material to asecond end of the band of elastic material with the second endoverlapping the first end.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the fabrichas an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has a durableand smooth outer surface.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein the fabrichas an inner layer that is attached to an outer layer that has outersurface covered with pile.